OT: ADs Gross and White Sold UL to the ACC

[TexanMark]

H/T: ncaabbs.com

A link to an article about 8 months old but I don't think has been posted here. UL AD called ND and Cuse ADs and asked them to help sell UL to the voting ACC schools.

http://loumag.epubxp.com/i/111400/68

 

[DNABB5]

Easy sell IMO. Ville is a very well run athletic program. Hate losing to them but I respect the heck out of em and thwy have some classy fans.

 

[BlackKnight76]

I've always liked Louisville's fans based on many interactions down at the BET, and their recent athletic success speaks for itself. Glad to have them.

 

[NKR1978]

That article shoots down the idea that UNC and Duke didn't want Louisville. Also having Tom Jurich be a friend to Syracuse could pay dividends in the future since he seems to be a pretty respected guy and hopefully the next ACC commissioner whenever Swofford decides to step down.

 

[Tcuse]

Yes classy fans even when we beat them at home last year. Many came up and congratulated us.
Was at the football game in Papa John stadium a couple of years ago when Bridgewater had his coming out party and they trashed us, no gloating on their part despite us being dressed in Orange.
And may I add that Louisville puts on a very fun family friendly show, great venues to watch sports and fun for all ages.

 

[texascpa]

Good article and if UConn fans ever read it, it will intensify their disdain for the current UConn administration. Looks like they got out-worked.

 

[All4SU]

Out worked UConn, yes. But they also brought more tot he table. Really demonstrates how the B12 goofed by not taking UL with WVU.

 

[CousCuse]

This is an interesting subject, the entire conference, Risk, gambit. Swofford won bigtime and by extension the ACC. Why Delaney took SUNJ and Maryland when he could have had Missouri and say Kansas is beyond me.Whenever I here an ad for the Rosebowl as the Grand daddy of them all the thing that comes to mind is a toothless,feeble old man with dementia in a retirement home. The National Championship game is the DADDY OF THEM ALL.
w
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[orangeinjersey]

Great read. I'm sure Gross knew what the implications were for UConn and indirectly for SU with UConns demise. I feel sorry, just a bit for UConn, becuase there are a bunch of crappy mid to lower BCS schools with no tv market, no history, no tradition, no accomplishments that got a seat at the table, while they don't. UConn certainly deserved an invite to a BCS conf over RU, thats for sure.

 

[ithacat]

Good article and if UConn fans ever read it, it will intensify their disdain for the current UConn administration. Looks like they got out-worked.

Not just out-worked...they got out-liked as well. Does anyone like UConn?

 

[CousCuse]

Great read. I'm sure Gross knew what the implications were for UConn and indirectly for SU with UConns demise. I feel sorry, just a bit for UConn, becuase there are a bunch of crappy mid to lower BCS schools with no tv market, no history, no tradition, no accomplishments that got a seat at the table, while they don't. UConn certainly deserved an invite to a BCS conf over RU, thats for sure.

Most, if not all of UCONN's success in FB and BB was off of Syracuse' reputation, so their demise should come at our hands. Muhahahahh.

 

[GFTakedown]

The strong ACC football teams plus BC probably shot down UConn's chances. I am not surprised that Gross lobbied for UL over UConn. Three teams in the NE wouldn't be good for recruiting.

 

[All4SU]

Great read. I'm sure Gross knew what the implications were for UConn and indirectly for SU with UConns demise. I feel sorry, just a bit for UConn, becuase there are a bunch of crappy mid to lower BCS schools with no tv market, no history, no tradition, no accomplishments that got a seat at the table, while they don't. UConn certainly deserved an invite to a BCS conf over RU, thats for sure.

No. As much as I dislike Buttgers fans, their team was always going to have a better chance at being invited someplace than Uconn's. And it's not because of history -- the only history they have is of losing. And it's not because of winning -- All they have managed is to raise themselves to mediocrity, and even that is in question now. And it's not about basketball -- UCOnn has had a basketball brand that Buttgers will never ever have. But basketball is not part of the equation. It is, and always was about location. NJ > CT.

 

[Alsacs]

UConn is the plucky person who is nice and just thinks by being patient it will be enough to get many suitors for the prom. While Louisville is the person who works their ass off, and becomes more attractive than the plucky person. That link is why UConn has all their butthurt. I wonder honestly though if the Big XII went with UL over WVU who does the ACC take WVU or UConn? I think its UConn.

 

[Scooch]

Fascinating article, thanks for posting it!

As hard as Jurich worked, and he clearly is an incredibly talented AD, I think UL had the inside track because of the way the landscape looked at the time. Let's not forget the FSU/Clemson to Big 12 rumors swirling about, along with the UNC/UVA to Big Ten stuff. Both may have been a good deal of hogwash, but they contributed to a climate of instability. The football-centric schools of the ACC had leverage, as did the traditional southern geographic base. I think those folks all had enough of adding basketball-centric, northern schools and wanted one of their own. UL was fortunate that they're football program was on a significant upswing.

I mean these conference folks are not the visionaries some make them out to be, it's largely about the here and now. Had UConn been coming off a couple of Cincy football-like 10-2, top 10 seasons and UL was mired in a stretch of 4 and 5 win seasons, the roles could easily have been reversed.

In a strange way, losing Maryland may have been a good thing for the ACC. It allowed them to add another school more acceptable to the football-centric schools, and greased the skids for the GOR that stabilized the league.

 

[44PRIDE]

On top of everything else, UConn picked the absolute worst time to replace their AD.

When it came time for behind the scenes jockying, dealmaking and salesmanship, UConn was left with a telemarketer from India. Louisville had a closer.

 

[sutomcat]

H/T: ncaabbs.com A link to an article about 8 months old but I don't think has been posted here. UL AD called ND and Cuse ADs and asked them to help sell UL to the voting ACC schools. http://loumag.epubxp.com/i/111400/68

I think in the final analysis, the remaining ACC schools valued preserving the historical Southern nature of the conference more than some other factors.

They could stomach adding Syracuse and Pitt but replacing a Southern school with another school from the North at almost the same time was too much for them.

 

[CousCuse]

I think in the final analysis, the remaining ACC schools valued preserving the historical Southern nature of the conference more than some other factors.

They could stomach adding Syracuse and Pitt but replacing a Southern school with another school from the North at almost the same time was too much for them.

Can' say I blame them,seeing how little Northern teams care about football.

 

[dasher]

I think in the final analysis, the remaining ACC schools valued preserving the historical Southern nature of the conference more than some other factors.

They could stomach adding Syracuse and Pitt but replacing a Southern school with another school from the North at almost the same time was too much for them.

Cat, other than Syracuse, Penn st., pitt, B.C. and Rutgers, no one else plays d-1 football in the northeast.

 

[Scooch]

Can' say I blame them,seeing how little Northern teams care about football.

Well, to be fair, it's not like a good chunk of the pre-existing ACC southern membership is particularly football fanatical.

 

[TexanMark]

Cat, other than Syracuse, Penn st., pitt, B.C. and Rutgers, no one else plays d-1 football in the northeast.

Temple and UConn say ouch!

 

[Moontan]

Temple and UConn say ouch!

TrueBlue would include The State University of New York and UMass.

 

[dasher]

Temple and UConn say ouch!

I mean they are gritty programs but would you really call them d-1 Mark?

 

[Alsacs]

UConn is on borrowed time. They like Syracuse, Boston College have to rely on NY/NJ/MA/CT/FL/PA as their home base for recruiting. If UConn isn't in a P5 in 3 years they will fade away in football. Atleast Temple has PA as its home base and if they are smart can become a MAC esque program for young coaches. The next AAC schools to be expansion fodder are Cincinnati and Central Florida because of football/media market/recruiting ground. UConn needed Syracuse to support them for the ACC, but their AD was too lazy to even call Dr. Gross unlike Louisville's AD Tom Jurich who took nothing for granted. UConn isn't going to be picked by the B1G. The B1G schools already hate Rutgers/Maryland the only expansion left that the B1G will do is North Carolina/Virginia(which neither wants) or Texas/Oklahoma/Kansas combinations for its Western Division.

 

[Pyle]

I feel sorry, just a bit for UConn, becuase there are a bunch of crappy mid to lower BCS schools with no tv market, no history, no tradition, no accomplishments that got a seat at the table, while they don't.

Blasphemy. UCONN has only been playing D1/FBS football for 10 years and has 0 tradition. Their fans are also douchenozzles. I feel nothing for them. Stop living in the past, UCONN is the past. Now we care about our new brethren in FSU and Clemson, you know teams with a chance to really say something about our much more legitimate conference.

 

[Alsacs]

I feel a little bad for UConn, but they keep acting like that relative/friend who feels like if you get invited to a party you have to bring them with you just because they are your relative/friend. Syracuse was not part of the 2003 ACC lawsuit and don't think the ACC schools never forget that. Its why we were their first choice for future expansion as 13 now Virginia Tech and Pitt were also part of that lawsuit, but UVA got the screws put to them by Marc Warner and that is how VPI got in, and whether its fair or not the perception that Bluthemal leading the lawsuit as the face for UConn made UConn the number 1 target for angst from the ACC and if BC/Miami blackballed UConn in favor of Pitt that is their own fault.

What annoys me is that it took so long for UConn to get into the D-1 game and they act like they should be given a lottery ticket as a result. While teams like TCU, SMU have history from the 70's and Louisville built itself from C-USA. Okay, UConn you stepped up in 1998 Congrats buddy, but how about earning your way into an elite league. Syracuse football was bad from 2005 till 2009 and they want to make that era seem like it wipes out our decades of history prior while they have none. We beat Kansas State, West Virginia, Minnesota in bowl games UConn's best bowl wins are South Carolina, Toledo, Buffalo. I mean Congrats you guys achieved mediocrity pretty easily by being given a golden ticket in a BCS league, but you have not accomplished that much so and when your small league and people will give you respect. Respect is earned NOT GIVEN.

This is my problem with the UConn program.